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Only one specialist pathologist in Zimbabwe - Dr Mataruse
10 Jun 2016 at 07:23hrs | Views
An MP, Doctor Peter Mataruse (MDC-T) has told parliament that Zimbabwe has only one specialist pathologist who can not cover the whole country according to demand of the profession
"I want to inform the House that it needs highly technical and specialised people to screen this blood for the diseases. We need specialist pathologists and in Zimbabwe, we have only one and that person cannot cover the whole country. Therefore, the issue of decentralising blood banks is almost impossible," he said.
"We also need highly specialised technologists, they used to be called third party technicians, which means we start with the lowest grade certificates, part two and then part three. They are highly skilled technologists and they are now given degrees and are called laboratory scientists. We really need highly specialised people to screen this disease."
Mataruse said the screen them of syphilis, HIV/AIDS, Zika and hepatitis.
"I am sure from television or records, it is now the number one killer and in Zimbabwe, HIV/AIDS has a lower rate of deaths than hepatitis. I will assure you that if we screen the people in this House, we might find out that 40% have hepatitis because during the Smith regime, we used to have a herf-gun which was used from one person to the next without being changed or cleaned and if one was infected, it would be transmitted to the next person. We have got a high level of hepatitis and we have to screen it," Mataruse said.
"The cost of blood, despite that it is donated free, I am sure you will bear with me that the cost is around $50 to $60. As Parliament, we are trying to request the Government to take over the costs and pay for these ones. However, the cost is there."
"I want to inform the House that it needs highly technical and specialised people to screen this blood for the diseases. We need specialist pathologists and in Zimbabwe, we have only one and that person cannot cover the whole country. Therefore, the issue of decentralising blood banks is almost impossible," he said.
"We also need highly specialised technologists, they used to be called third party technicians, which means we start with the lowest grade certificates, part two and then part three. They are highly skilled technologists and they are now given degrees and are called laboratory scientists. We really need highly specialised people to screen this disease."
"I am sure from television or records, it is now the number one killer and in Zimbabwe, HIV/AIDS has a lower rate of deaths than hepatitis. I will assure you that if we screen the people in this House, we might find out that 40% have hepatitis because during the Smith regime, we used to have a herf-gun which was used from one person to the next without being changed or cleaned and if one was infected, it would be transmitted to the next person. We have got a high level of hepatitis and we have to screen it," Mataruse said.
"The cost of blood, despite that it is donated free, I am sure you will bear with me that the cost is around $50 to $60. As Parliament, we are trying to request the Government to take over the costs and pay for these ones. However, the cost is there."
Source - Byo24News
